Thaindian News

June 3, 2010 (Pen men at Work): From Monday, the Dallas-based AT&T Inc. will get rid of unrestricted data plans for purchasers of high-end smart phones like the iPhone. Thereby, it will become the first company in the wireless industry to charge based on usage.

Proprietors of smart phones, who desire to leaf through the Web, monitor their e-mails, stream audio and observe video without any restriction, will have to fork out more cash for surpassing data quotas. However, the pricing overhaul could diminish the bills of some consumers.

By eradicating its existing unrestricted data plan, AT&T is expected to alleviate some of the load on its wireless set-up. This audacious move of AT&T could herald similar moves by the rivals of AT&T.

Reviewer of the telecommunications industry, Jeff Kagan, has, however, mentioned that this decision of AT&T is unsurprising and is a decision that is expected to be adopted by others in the field as well.

AT&T managers have indicated fervently for many months that the cellular industry needed to adopt tiered pricing as 3% of smart phone clients were accountable for 40% of the wireless internet interchange. The unhampered data plans that AT&T now vends to the procurers of smart phones for $30 a month will be substituted by two fresh ones: DataPlus and DataPro.

DataPlus will be worth $15 for the utmost data download of 200 megabytes per month. AT&T has declared that the plan will permit the customers to transport or take the delivery of 1,000 e-mails every month. The plan will permit the consumers to glimpse 400 Web pages and stare at 20 minutes of streaming video from sites such as YouTube.

The company has declared that 65 percent of its smart phone clientele use less than 200 megabytes of data per month.

DataPro will be $25 for a download with an upper limit of 2 gigabytes a month. AT&T has stated that 98 percent of its smart phone patrons use less than 2 gigabytes of data a month.

DataPlus consumers, who go beyond their monthly caps, will be charged $15 for an extra 200 megabytes. DataPro customers will be told to fork out $10 for each added gigabyte of data downloads.

AT&T has mentioned that the new data plans could, in reality, make smart phones be within the means of more individuals.

Spokesperson Mark Siegel has divulged that the new plans are likely to have negligible or zilch impact on AT&T’s sales this year, although there might be an enhancement in the distant future to the company’s end result.